The Chess Game
by clarinet-alto-4ever
Summary: A chess game between Alice and Edward Cullen is more than a strategy game; it's a mind game . . . literally! A short one-shot.


A/N: I've been reading non-stop on the Stephanie Meyer series for the past couple of days. I'm in the middle of Eclipse right now, but this plot bunny jumped into my head. I couldn't resist stopping and writing it out right now. I haven't yet ventured into reading any fanfiction on this series yet (don't want any spoilers till I finish Eclipse), so I don't know if this has been done before, or is done often, or whatever. Hopefully if it has already been written, this has a fresh view on it. Alice's thoughts are _italicized _and Edward's are **bolded**. I know the basics of chess (how to play and such), but I haven't the slightest clue about hardcore strategy. So, these moves for the most part are vague.

Edit: I've actually finished now! Yay! I can't wait till August 2!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Stephanie Meyer's _Twilight_ series.

XOX

Alice, Jasper, and Edward Cullen along with Bella Swan stared at each other while sitting in the Cullens' living room. A cliché exchange of "What do you want to do?" "I don't know, what do you want to do?" had already passed by a few times, and for another couple minutes, there didn't seem to be a solution in sight until Edward spoke up.

"How about a good game of chess?" he suggested.

Jasper shot a look at him. "Mind reader," he snarled playfully. "You saw that I was going to suggest that."

Edward smiled smugly at his "brother" while the girls laughed and happily agreed. Alice went off to get the family chess board while the others moved into the rarely used dining room.

Alice soon returned and laid out the board. Everybody helped set up all the pieces, and soon the board was ready. "Who wants to play who?" Jasper asked.

"I'll play you, Jasper!" Alice said quickly.

Jasper shook his head fiercely, "No way, Alice. You will just foresee every move I plan to make."

Alice stuck her tongue out at her beloved playfully. "I guess that means you won't play me either, Bella?"

Bella also declined. "I think the only fair person to put you against is Edward."

The siblings nodded. This was the way it usually worked. Nobody in the family would play Alice or Edward except the other one. And most often, the games lasted no more than five minutes or five moves.

Alice claimed white, and Edward moved to sit behind the black pieces. Jasper and Bella looked on anxiously.

_Alright, Queen side pawn forward two spaces._

And Alice moved her pawn forward two spaces. It was then Edward's turn. He probed her thoughts to figure out what her long term plan was.

**Ok, she's planning on coming at me from the right, so I'm going to make sure I don't leave a weakness on that side.**

As Edward moved a pawn of his own, Alice's face went black momentarily as she saw Edward's change in strategy.

_Ok, don't think about the game, don't think about the game, just move your pieces. Alright, go straight down the midd . . . darn it! Now I can't do that because he just heard it._

**What is she trying to do here? If she's not going to the right, she said she'd go down the middle. Dang it, woman, don't think about Jasper! I can't win like that!**

_Jasper . . . Jasper . . .my love . . . _Alice grinned evilly in her mind and began thinking of embarrassing situations for Edward to see.

"Alice! That's not fair!" Edward argued and shook his head trying to shake the images away.

"Alls fair in love and war, and chess is close enough to war, Edward," Alice replied haughtily.

Edward took the chance to make his move.

_Now why would he do that? _Alice closed her eyes and probed the future. _Ahh, so that's what he's doing! Then I'll do this!_

**Yes! Just what I wanted her to do, because I'm going to do this!**

_Oh, you just changed your mind Edward, tough luck. _Alice quickly made the move that went along with her overall strategy and complied with Edward's new idea.

But in that split second, her entire strategy flashed through her mind, and consequently, Edward's mind. He smiled.

At that moment, Edward decided to fight fire with fire and distract Alice. He made a conscious decision to ravish Bella after the game. He smirked when he saw Alice's face go blank. While she was witnessing that, he moved his next piece.

_Edward! That's not very nice either!_

"Alls fair in love and war, Alice."

Bella raised an eyebrow, "What's going on here besides chess you two?"

If Alice could have, she would have blushed a bright red. "Nothing, Bella. Come on, Edward, get back to playing the game!"

"It's your turn, Alice."

"Oh, yes." _Darn him. I guess I'll just move here._

**Yes! I've got her now. **And Edward made his next move.

Alice's face went blank again. _After he moves there, I'll move there . . . he moves . . . dang it. I've lost._

Edward smiled triumphantly as Alice knocked over her king that wasn't even in check yet.

Bella looked confused, "Um, I guess that means Edward won?"

"It would seem that's what Alice saw in the future. Am I right, sister dearest?"

Alice stuck her tongue out at Edward. "Yes." Edward chuckled.

A silence loomed over the group for a minute or so.

"So, Bella, want to play me?" Jasper asked innocently.

Bella smiled, "As long as you don't make me feel like my pieces are ok when they're really in mortal danger!"


End file.
